John Smith Gumbula
Wakka Wakka / Gooreng Gooreng people QLD
Hunting on My Land
Ochre and mixed media on canvas
125 × 259 cm
BCEC Art Collection
John Smith Gumbula’s works blend Indigenous symbolism with contemporary design, drawing on his Wakka Wakka and Gooreng Gooreng heritage and his close cultural ties with to Yolŋu communities in the north-east of Arnhem Land.
Working across painting, printmaking, sculpture and applied design, his imagery features animals, waterways and landscapes connected to Country and Sea Country.
Gumbula’s practice centres on cultural continuity and education, using visual storytelling to strengthen identity and foster cross cultural understanding through accessible, modern forms.
In 2022 a sculpture designed by John Smith Gumbala dedicated to Queensland’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander service men and women was unveiled in Brisbane’s Anzac Square.
Hunting on My Land can be viewed on Sky Level.